Death Penalty Sentences Entered in Gaza since July 2011

On the morning of Tuesday, 26 July 2011, the Ministry of Interior of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip adjudicated a decision on the hanging to death of two citizens convicted of collaboration with the enemy. The convicts were Muhammad Mahmoud Ahmed Abu-Quneis (59 years) and his son Rami Muhammad Mahmoud Abu-Quneis (28 years); both were residents of Al-Jala’ neighbourhood in Gaza city. The charges ascribed to both convicts included collaboration with an inimical foreign security agency with the intention of causing damage to higher national interests, deliberate complicity in murder, and the undermining of the public morale and strength of the resistance.

The capital punishment was carried out following the approval of the Hamas government of the decision on the execution of death penalty sentences against the two men whose collaboration with the Israeli occupying authorities was proven in court. On 29 November 2004, the Gaza Court of First Instance sentenced the aforementioned convicts to death by hanging. On 14 July 2011, the Court of Cassation rebutted an objection filed against the 2004 decision and supported the death penalty sentence entered against the convicts.

Press Release Issued by the Ministry of Interior and National Security on the Execution of the Death Penalty Sentence against Collaborators with the Zionist Enemy

On the morning of Tuesday, 26 July 2011, death penalty sentences were executed against (M. A. Q.) and (R. A. Q.) who were convicted of collaboration with the Israeli occupying authorities.

The Ministry of Interior confirms that the death penalty sentence was executed after all due means of objection against it had been exhausted. The judgement has possessed a definitive status for cassation and has become to be final and executable after the convicts were given their full rights.

The capital punishment was executed following approval of the Gaza government of a decision on the execution of death penalty sentences against the spies who are proved to be involved in collaboration with the Israeli occupying authorities.

On 29 November 2011, the Gaza Court of First Instance sentenced the aforementioned convicts to death by hanging. On 14 July 2011, the Court of Cassation rebutted an objection filed against the said decision and supported the death penalty sentence entered against the convicts.

The charges ascribed to them were as follows:

Collaboration with an inimical foreign security agency with the intention to cause damage to higher national interests in violation of Article 77(B) of the Order No. 555 of 1957 (against both convicts); undermining of the public morale and strength of the resistance in violation of Article 78(A) of the Order No. 555 of 1957 (against both convicts); deliberate murder in complicity in contravention of Article 214 (against both convicts); and deliberate murder in complicity in violation of Articles 214, 215, 216, and 23 of the Penal Law of 1936 (against the second convict).

The court confirmed that the charge of the attempt of murder in complicity in violation of Articles 222 and 23 of the Penal Law of 1936 (against both convicts) was a judgement given quasi inter praesentes by consensus and summoned publicly.

Ministry of Interior and National Security

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

The Standing Military Court in Gaza was convened by a panel consisting of Judge Ayman Imad ad Din as President, and Husam Shihadah and Sami al Ashram as Members, entered in the morning of Tuesday, 11 October 2011, a judgement on the death by hanging against the citizen Ribhi Ahmed Ribhi Badawi (35 years), a resident of the Ash Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza city. He is a civilian, against whom the charge of collaboration (treason) with the enemy was addressed. The sentence is entered in accordance with the Revolutionary Penal Law of 1979.

On the morning of Wednesday, 12 October 2011, the same court entered two judgements of death by hanging against the citizens Bilal Sa’di al Masri (22 years), a resident of the Beit Lahiya Housing Project north of the Gaza Strip, and Jihad Abdullah as Sabe’ (23 years), a resident of the Ash Sheikh Zayed City north of the Gaza Strip, after they had been convicted on the charge of “terrorism” in accordance with the Revolutionary Penal Law of 1979. The same court also sentenced a third convict in the same case: Sayf ad Din Mahmoud Abu Bakr (21 years), a resident of the Ash Sheikh Zayed City, to hard labour for a term of four years on charges of “conspiracy” in accordance with the same Law. Subject to appeal, judgements were given quasi inter praesentes against the three convicts. They were sentenced after they had been convicted of detonating an explosive device on 5 February 2009 in front of the Al Waha Cafe in the Ar Rimal neighbourhood in the centre of Gaza city. The explosion resulted in the killing of the citizen Rami Jamil ‘Ashour (27 years) and the injury of four other citizens.